Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Happy Saint Patrick's Day History And Trivia

A favorite holiday among many, I
thought I would celebrate by sharing some Saint Patrick’s Day history and Irish
trivia with you!

Did you know…?

In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday
celebrated with reverence, not excessive partying.

St. Patrick was a 5th
century British-born Roman; as a teenager, he was captured by Irish invaders and
spent six years as a slave before escaping and returning to England, only to
return to Ireland as a missionary after completing his studies for the
priesthood.

The name “Patrick” is derived from the Latin “Patricius”,
meaning “father figure”. Saint Patrick took the name upon his ordination to the
priesthood. His given name was Maewyn Succat.

Saint Patrick’s feast day is March 17th, commemorating
the day he died in 461.

It is said that Saint Patrick “drove the snakes out of Ireland”
and this is figuratively true. The snake is the pagan symbol of wisdom; in
bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle, Saint Patrick drove out the old wisdom of her
people. Additionally, the snake is a Christian symbol of Satan and evil
incarnate – also something Saint Patrick worked to quash.

Over 30 million Americans claim Irish ancestry; worldwide,
over double that number (70 million) can claim a link to the Emerald Isle –
that is more than ten times the actual population of Ireland!
In America, Irish ancestry ranks among the top 5 ancestries
in all but two states – New Mexico and Hawaii!

Although New York City boasts the largest Saint Patrick’s
Day parade, Boston boasts the oldest. In fact, it hosted the very first Saint
Patrick’s Day parade ever held anywhere in the world – in 1737!

Guinness Brewery estimates that 13 million pints of their
product will be consumed on Saint Patrick’s Day!

While Ireland is famous for its potatoes, the vegetable is
not native to Irish soil; it was imported from the North American continent.

The first President of the Irish Republic (Eamon De Valera) was American by birth!

The colors of the Irish flag – orange, white, and green –
stand for the Protestants (orange) of Northern Ireland; the Catholics (green) of
the main isle (Eire, or the Irish Republic); and the peace (white) that will
hopefully reign between them on a permanent basis.